Earlier this week, the Sandia National Laboratory announced in a Nov. 13 press release the successful, non-explosive drop testing of the B61-12 air-dropped thermonuclear bomb. The tests, conducted Aug. 19-21, “yielded positive results as inert units of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb were successfully carried and dropped by an F-35 aircraft, marking a significant milestone in evaluating the weapon’s performance,” the Sandia release said. “The August tests were the only B61-12 stockpile flight tests of joint test assemblies on an F-35 aircraft, solidifying the end-to-end reliability of the aircraft, crews and weapon system during missions.” That is, they tested every part of the system except for the actual detonation of a nuclear charge.